


Just a Friend

by flashytonystark



Series: #PsychicGinger... I Ship It [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Game of Thrones RPF
Genre: Adorable, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Background Relationships, Best Friends, Coffee, College, Complicated Relationships, Cute, Denial of Feelings, Dialogue, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Female Characters, Female Friendship, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Friendship, Male Friendship, Non-Canon Relationship, POV Third Person, Present Tense, Studying, Unhealthy Relationships, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 19:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5509517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashytonystark/pseuds/flashytonystark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giving him a thankful smile, Sansa rejoins Margaery at the table who is busy tapping away on her phone. "Who's the coffee from?"</p>
<p>Without thinking, Sansa answers with the first thing that comes to mind. "Just a friend."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Friend

"He's staring at you again."  
  
Sansa looks up from her mess of papers and textbooks, highlighter clutched between her teeth, and raises a brow at the girl sitting across from her.  
  
"Who?" She mumbles around the highlighter, dropping her gaze back to her work.  
  
"The guy sitting at the corner booth to your left—by the window and snowmen display."  
  
Pulling the highlighter out of her mouth, she passes it over a few lines of text in her notebook and caps it before chancing a glance at the person Margaery had mentioned.  
  
Jojen Reed.  
  
"He's not staring, he's drawing. He's always drawing," she whispers, turning her attention back to her friend.  
  
"He's not staring _now_ , but he was. He's always staring at you with these big, longing puppy dog eyes."  
  
"Margaery! He doesn't!" she scolds, trying to keep her voice down to avoid drawing attention to their table.  
  
"Mhm. You don't notice it because you're always invested in a book or Joffrey's face."  
  
Sansa scoffs and accompanies it with a dramatic roll of her eyes before looking back at Jojen over her shoulder. She catches his eye—at least that's what she tells herself—and he immediately drops his gaze, an intent look crossing his face as he goes back to his drawing.  
  
She watches him a few moments longer, a crease forming between her brows, and turns back to Margaery. "Here, make yourself useful and quiz me. I have an exam in two hours." She shoves a stack of index cards toward her friend and folds her hands in front of her expectantly. "Oh, and stop staring at him. He probably thinks you're crazy."  
  
"He's the crazy one..." Margaery glances down at the top notecard before looking back at Sansa, not in the mood to help her study. "Wait, do you have class with him?"  
  
"Psych and World Lit. Why? What does that matter? And you shouldn't call people crazy. It's rude unless you know them personally."  
  
"Just curious is all. I bet he stares at you then too."  
  
"For the love of the Seven, would you stop? He does not."  
  
"Shut up, he's coming this way. Maybe he wants to talk to you."  
  
"I swear, Marg—I'm going to throw this coffee at you if you don't stop." Sansa shifts in her chair in order to get a better look out the window, craning her neck a bit. "Joff should be here soon."  
  
"Cool, I can watch him beat up your new boyfriend."  
  
Unable to stop herself, Sansa chucks her highlighter at Margaery's head and glares. "Quiz me, damnit."  
  
"Okay, okay..." As Margaery shuffles the index cards, Sansa glances at the coffee counter right as Jojen is slipping his wallet into his back pocket.  
  
He picks his bag off the floor and slings it over his shoulder, picks up his coffee, and cracks what appears to be a hilarious joke judging by the amount of laughing that's coming from one of the baristas. That's when he glances in her direction. Sansa can see him swallow as they make definite eye contact for the second time and she swears the right side of his mouth quirks up in the tiniest of smiles. Before she can look away or say anything, he's already turning around and leaving the coffee shop.  
  
"...when combined with hydrochloric acid?"  
  
"Wait, what was the question?" Sansa is still staring at the door Jojen had exited moments before, ignoring the buzzing of her phone.  
  
Margaery sighs and places the index cards back down. "I've asked you the same question three times now. You were watching him."  
  
"You brought him to my attention, you know. I was just curious is all." As she unlocks her phone, her impassive expression turns to a scowl when she glances at the text she's just received, refusing to respond.  
  
"Joff not coming?"  
  
"Nope. It's whatever. Anyway, wanna know something weird though? He's friends with—"  
  
"Yo, Red! I have your order ready."  
  
Sansa's brows furrow in confusion as she pivots in her seat toward the voice. Gendry is standing behind the counter, a coffee in his hand.  
  
"I didn't order coffee, Gendry."  
  
"Didn't say you did. I'm just doing what I'm told. Now come get this before it gets cold. I made it special, just for you."  
  
"I'll be back..." Getting up, Sansa goes over to the counter, eyeing the coffee suspiciously. "What is it?"  
  
"Vanilla gingerbread latte, extra foam, cinnamon sprinkled on the top. Your holiday favorite," he responds, sliding the cup across the counter toward her.  
  
"But you're not serving those yet! You know I'd drink these all year if you guys would offer them." She lifts the cup to her nose and inhales deeply as a smile spreads across her face. "Joff text you and pull some strings to try and make up for being an ass? How much do I owe you for this anyway?"  
  
Gendry shakes his head and leans forward on his elbows, dropping his voice a notch. "It's already been paid for and it wasn't by Joffrey or your sister either. Oh, speaking of, tell her to respond to my texts, would you? She's terrible at responding."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I will. Back to this coffee. Who ordered it then? No one besides Joffrey knows how much I love these and he hasn't done something this sweet for me in months." She whispers the last bit, afraid someone might overhear as she tries her hardest to hide the bitterness in her voice, failing miserably at doing so. Gendry, thankfully, pretends not to notice. To the outside world, Joffrey Baratheon and Sansa Stark are _the_ perfect, happy couple. Those closest to the pair know it's nothing more than a show for everyone else—completely fake, but believable nonetheless.  
  
"It was from that Reed kid. The one who's friends with your brother? Said you looked like you could use a bit of coffee and wouldn't take no for an answer when he inquired about getting you that specific latte. It's a good thing I like you, Red."  
  
Sansa goes quiet, her hand wrapping tightly around the coffee cup as she processes what Gendry told her. _Was_ Jojen Reed actually staring at her like Margaery has been saying?  
  
"Well... Thanks, Gendry. Do me a favor? Next time he's in and orders, tell him it's been covered already and just charge my student account, okay? I don't care if he orders 40 lattes, you charge my account. It's the least I can do. I'm paying it forward."  
  
Gendry nods and taps his temple. "Mental note made and saved. If he asks, can I tell him you were the one to pay for his order?"  
  
She shakes her head as she takes a sip of coffee, her face growing serious. "No, just tell him it's been covered by someone who's day he made."  
  
"You got it. Now go study."  
  
Giving him a thankful smile, Sansa rejoins Margaery at the table who is busy tapping away on her phone. "Who's the coffee from?"  
  
Without thinking, Sansa answers with the first thing that comes to mind. "Just a friend."  
  
_I'm going to become friends with Jojen Reed,_ she thinks to herself, not even bothering to try and hide the smile that's spreading across her face.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The series "#PsychicGinger... I Ship It" is a series of quick stories revolving around the cutest (and so not canon) ship of all time: Jojen Reed & Sansa Stark. I have a ton of these little ficlets chilling on my laptop, so I'll be posting them pretty frequently after the holidays, so stay tuned!


End file.
